Judge Grants Postponement in Home Invasion Murder Trial Due to New Evidence

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State prosecutors and defense attorneys for two co-defendants charged with murder agreed to a joint request for a trial postponement, which was approved by Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeannie Hong on Sept. 7.

Defense attorneys Andrea Jaskulsky and Staci Pipkin are representing Aaron Butler, 49, and his co-defendant, Kahlil Madden, 28, respectively. The request was submitted in response to the recent discovery of a firearm by detectives.

Defense counsel for Butler, 49, and Madden, 28, said this new evidence could potentially generate a different suspect in the home invasion murder of 31-year-old Jordan Taylor on Nov. 5, 2019, on the 4800 block of Clifton Avenue.

The third defendant, in this case, Donta Holdclaw, 47, died of a heart attack this summer, leading to the dismissal of his case.

Butler, along with his surviving co-defendant, have been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, use of a firearm, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, attempted armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to use a firearm in a felony violent crime, first-degree burglary, conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary, having a loaded handgun on his person, and firearm possession with a felony conviction.

Butler is charged with an additional count of first-degree murder.

Madden, who was still in the process of being transported from a Cumberland correctional facility, was not present in the courtroom. Later that day, Judge Melissa Phinn heard the case in reception court and scheduled Madden’s trial to begin on April 11, 2023.

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